Minister Joop Ave returns home at Soeharto's summons<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Minister
\nJoop Ave cut short his visit to New Zealand on Monday, leaving
\nthe annual PATA Conference in Auckland ahead of schedule, to meet
\na summons from President Soeharto to attend to urgent business
\nhere, a ministry spokesman said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Sjamsuddin Tanuatmadja said in a press release that Joop, the
\noutgoing chairman of PATA (the Pacific Area Travel Association),
\nhad received the Presidential summons through State
\nSecretary\/Minister Moerdiono.<\/p>\n
\"Health reasons were another factor that forced Joop to return
\nhome hastily,\" Sjamsuddin said.<\/p>\n
The statement was issued to dispel rumors that the Indonesian
\nminister had made sexual advances to a male employee of the
\nAuckland hotel where he was staying and that the employee had
\nlodged a complaint against Joop with local police.<\/p>\n
Joop's hasty departure from Auckland by private jet only a few
\nhours before the opening of the PATA conference on Monday morning
\ncaused confusion among the participants and sparked the rumors
\nabout a sexual assault.<\/p>\n
Joop was scheduled to deliver a speech at the opening session
\nof the conference immediately before Prime Minister Jim Bolger
\nofficially opened the meeting. However, the Indonesian minister
\nfailed to show up.<\/p>\n
Nurdin Purnomo, a director of PT Setia Tour, who was in
\nAuckland as part of the Indonesian delegation, told The Jakarta
\nPost last night that he had met with Joop and spoken with him in
\nAuckland on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
\"Minister Joop appeared to be limping at that time. I asked
\nhim why. Joop said he slipped in his room,\" said Purnomo, who
\nreturned to Jakarta yesterday morning.<\/p>\n
Reporters who met with the minister at his office on Wednesday
\nafternoon were quoted by the Antara news agency as confirming
\nthat Joop looked unwell.<\/p>\n
\"I am sick,\" Joop told reporters as he got into his limousine.
\nJoop did not attend his office yesterday, Sjamsuddin said.<\/p>\n
An official of the New Zealand embassy here said last night
\nthat the embassy had not yet received any information on the
\nalleged incident.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a local source suggested last night that the rumors
\nmight have been fabricated.<\/p>\n
\"Or maybe Joop was set up,\" added the source, who insisted on
\nanonimity. (icn\/vin)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-joop-ave-returns-home-at-soehartos-summons-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}